Predominantly agrarian-character of the national economy of the Republic of Moldova defines a high proportion of rural population (58%). Deep socioeconomic changes in the recent decades have had a significant impact on all aspects of rural populations. A complex socioeconomic situation, the absence of labour caused massive population emigration from rural areas, which had a negative impact on all the demographic processes, including nuptiality, natality, mortality etc. Considerable changes in population structure by main age groups (children, adults, elderly) have been accompanied by depopulation process in rural areas. A sharp decline in natality led to reduction in children population both in absolute and relative terms and a rise in proportion of the elderly. For many decades, the natural increase of Moldova’s population was provided mainly by the rural population, that’s why the loss of this demographic potential can have serious consequences for our country.

În Republica Moldova caracterul predominant agrar al economiei naţionale determină ponderea mare a populaţiei rurale (58%) în efectivul total al populaţiei. Complexitatea situaţiei socioeconomice, a condiţionat emigrarea în masă a populaţiei din mediul rural, influenţând negativ asupra tuturor proceselor demografi ce, inclusiv structura populaţiei şi coraportul dintre principalele grupuri de vârstă (copii, adulţi, vârstnici). Având în vedere că pentru multe decenii, sporul natural al populaţiei din Moldova a fost asigurat, în principal, de către populaţia rurală, pierderea acestui potenţial demografi c poate avea consecinţe grave pentru ţara noastră.